A Typology of Beautification: How Influencers Narrate Beautification via AR filters on Instagram Stories
By
Kirsten Hartman
Master’s Thesis
E. Weltevrede & T. Dodds Rojas
New Media and Digital Culture (Media Studies) University of Amsterdam
Abstract 3
Introduction 4
Instagram Stories & Affordances for narrating beautification 8
1.1 Instagram as a Visual Communication Tool 8
1.2 Instagram and Aesthetics 8
1.3 The rise of Instagram stories 10
1.4 Storytelling 12
1.4.1 Digital storytelling 13
1.4.2 Digital storytelling on Instagram 14
1.4.3 Affordances 15
AR Filters and the Technicity of Beautification 17
2.1 Enhancing social media images 17
2.2 A history of filters on Instagram 18
2.3 AR filters on Instagram 20
2.3.1 AR Filters and Beautification 21
Instagram Influencers and an Economy of Beautification 22
3.1 The ‘desire for more’ 22
3.2 Instagram Influencers 22
3.2.1 Attention on Instagram and the ‘Proliferation of Sameness’ 23
3.3 Instagram as a highlight reel 24
4. Methodology 27
5. Typology of Beautification 30
5.1 All-over screen AR filters 33
5.1.1 Retro Filters 34
5.1.2 Color Changing Filters 37
5.1.4 Filters Adding Symbols on Screen 40
5.2 Face AR filters 41
5.2.1 Skin Beautifying Filters 42
5.2.2 Eye Changing Filters 44
5.2.3 Enhancing Natural Face Features 45
5.2.4 Adding Symbols to the Face 48
5.3 Typology of Beautification - An Overview 49
5.3.1 All-over screen AR filters Overview 50
5.3.2 Face AR filters Overview 52
6. Discussion 55
6.1 Narrating Beautification on Instagram 55
6.1.1 Does Instagram have a visual language of imperfection? 55
6.1.2 Proliferation of ‘authentic’ beauty 57
6.2 The Instagram Stories Dichotomy 59
7. Conclusion 61
Abstract
This thesis draws on a sample of Instagram influencers and their use of augmented reality (AR) filters on Instagram stories to explore the ways in which beautification is narrated on this particular platform. By the creation of categories and subcategories of the most used AR filters amongst the sample of influencers, a typology of beautification is created. This
typology consists of several aspects that constitute the norms of aesthetics and beauty on Instagram, according to the data retrieved by analyzing the use of AR filters by influencers. This thesis argues that there are two main trends regarding beautification as a result of AR filters on Instagram. Firstly, AR filters with an all over screen focus - in particular retro filters - have gained a large popularity and may function as a way for influencers to curate their content on Instagram stories, making them stand out in the attention economy. These all over screen AR filters do not only beautify the face, but beautify the whole piece of content by adapting colors and giving them a nostalgic feel. Secondly, AR filters making the skin look smoother, lips look fuller, nose look smaller and adding the look of makeup and appearance of freckles are the most popular regarding AR filters with a particular focus on the face. These AR filters beautify the face in a rather authentic-looking manner, causing for a further blurring of boundaries between what is part of ‘real’ life and what is part of the filter.
Ultimately, this thesis draws on the conclusion that AR filters on Instagram play a significant role in the creation of norms when it comes to aesthetics and beauty on Instagram, and have led to an increase in curated content on Instagram stories. This increase may in turn have negative impacts on the mental wellbeing of vulnerable audiences that struggle with distinguishing the real from representations of one’s life online.
Introduction
In October 2019, Instagram declared to ban filters with a ‘plastic surgery’ effect (Manavis). Thereupon, these face filters were not allowed to be used and shared on Instagram anymore. Essentially, the plastic surgery filters are face filters that give users the look of having had plastic surgery procedures done. In specific, the creation of the filter called ‘Fix Me’ caused for uproar. It was said to promote plastic surgery, by mimicking where and how a plastic surgeon would potentially map out the lifts and tucks they would make to one’s face (Fenton). The filter particularly suggests having an eyebrow lift and cheek fillers, by scribbled black lines that appear on the user’s face highlighting the suggested ‘problem areas’. Nevertheless, the ‘Fix Me’ filter was not the only one suggesting cosmetic surgery. These augmented reality filters - filters than overlay reality with virtual elements (Hollerer and Feiner) - giving users smoother skin, fuller lips, brow lifts, cheek fillers and a more narrow nose quickly became popular. Some other filters that started off this trend were called ‘Plastics’, ‘Beautiful Face’, ‘LVBeauty’, ‘Top Model Look’, ‘Holy Natural’, ‘Holy Bucks’ and ‘Perfect Face’ (Manavis). Just like the ‘Fix Me’ filter, many of these filters were highly criticized online. As a result, Instagram decided to re-evaluate its policies. In this case, it involved the removing of filters depicting plastic surgery and quitting further approval of similar filters. The platform for creating these face filters - the Spark AR Studio - disclosed a declaration regarding the ban on Facebook, saying they aim for all users to have ‘positive experiences’. A re-evaluation of existing policies therefore was necessary, as they relate to well-being. Experts working in the industry of cosmetic surgery have merged themselves into the discussions surrounding this topic, and expressed their concerns about the fact that even children have access to these face-changing and beautifying filters on both social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat. Their concerns have increased even more, as they have noted a rise in extreme plastic surgery requests (Ramphul and Meijas). The fact that an increasing number of patients have been pursuing plastic surgery procedures with the desire to resemble the filtered versions of themselves, could be considered as one of the prompts for the rise of the ban.
The effects of such ‘face beautifying’ filters has been examined and discussed by several different authors and academics. Previous research has proven that the issues
surrounding these filters, mainly arise as a result of blurring lines between social media and reality (Stewart). Especially among young people, there is difficulty in understanding that social media does not always reflect reality. Young and vulnerable people are therefore prone to be negatively impacted by filters, eventually fueling mental health problems. Feelings of anxiety and insecurities are likely to be heightened due to being exposed to a high amount of idealised pictures (Fenton). Even though young people are capable of distinguishing fantasy from reality, the high sophistication of current photo editing technologies makes it even difficult for adolescents to pinpoint the areas of retouching or beautifying (Harrison and Hefner). It could be said that beautifying filters are profiting of user’s insecurities. Young women in particular are perceived to look a certain way in order to be considered ‘beautiful’, imposed by the beauty standards on the internet that have been shaped over the years. They are a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to effects of enhancements, due to their psychosocial developments that are typical for their life phase (Kleemans et al.). The problem that arises with using and being exposed to AR filters, is a chance of becoming addicted to the molded version of oneself. This can lead to a merciless cycle in which a user switches between the normal camera setting and the camera setting with an AR filter. This back and forth switching turns out to be both unsatisfying and disappointing, ultimately leading to a decrease in a person’s self-esteem (Wang). Previous research has already shown that being exposed to manipulated Instagram images can directly lead to a decrease in body image. In particular, young women who already are prone to social comparisons may be negatively impacted by exposure to manipulated posts on the platform. Even though young women do detect the fact that a photo is edited, simultaneously they perceive them as realistic
(Kleemans et al.). This could be ascribed to the idea that photography is often directly
correlated with reality (Jones). Through photography and forms of visual content, a notion of idealness is created and presented as if it is reality. As a result, filters are a fuel for
insecurities and mental health problems. However, the effects do not solely remain at
decreasing body image. Moreover, it goes as far as desiring, and in some cases even changing parts of the body to look like a ‘filtered’ self. Exposure to and use of photo editing and filters on social media create a longing for actually looking like the ideal version of oneself, often with the motive of meeting society’s standards of beauty (Fenton).
The above described discussions surrounding the relations between filters and effects on users are relevant and legitimate, especially because of the fact that options for enhancing
and beautifying content have been expanded with the launch of AR filters on Instagram Stories in 2019. This relatively new feature on Instagram allows any user to create its own AR filters in the Spark AR Studio, to then upload them on Instagram. This has provoked a large amount of new filters on Instagram stories that give an endless amount of different aesthetic looks and forms of beautification for narrating through visual content, by overlaying reality with computer generated elements. Trends in what is considered as visually pleasing change over time, and the launch of user-generated AR filters on Instagram stories have caused for a new dimension to aesthetics on Instagram. Moreover, these trends are often stimulated by influencers - individuals who aim at gaining attention in a content saturated space through self-presentation and visual tools online. For them, filters and forms of beautification act as tools for gaining attention on a platform with an overload of content. Once content with a particular visual look becomes recognized as successful in gaining attention in an oversaturated online space, other users start imitating similar looks with the aim of gaining the same attention. This way, standards of beauty are naturally reinforced, by the creation of a feedback loop of ‘looks’. This has provoked critiques towards Instagram, as it promotes a ‘proliferation of sameness’ (Hund).
In order to create more awareness about the ways in which influencers use these AR filters to beautify representations of their lives online, this thesis will contribute to the relatively new field of visual methodology. Inspired by Bucher and Niederer, this thesis will focus specifically on the role of technology regarding narrations of beautification. Instead of focusing on the effects of AR filters on users - as already discussed by several academics - , this thesis will emphasize a different perspective through researching the technicity of AR filters. Even though the discussions surrounding the effects of filters on Instagram are valid and relevant, they focus only on human agents while ignoring the position of technology. This thesis aims to take a step back from the ongoing discussions about effects of filters. In contrast, this thesis focuses on the dialogue between the technicity of Instagram and practices of its users - a dialogue between the human and technology (Bucher; Niederer). Throughout this thesis there will be a emphasis on understanding the underlying meaning of different visual contents, which is an important part of visual methodology (Rose). As this thesis is concerned with visual communication - a practice that has become common in our daily lives - the approach of visual methodology seems suitable. Above that, visual communication is a highly relevant topic for research as billions of pieces of visual content are shared in various
contexts on a daily basis via apps and platforms (Schreiber). By creating a new approach for examining visual communication on Instagram stories, this thesis works towards the creation of a typology of beautification by analyzing AR filters used by influencers on Instagram stories. It focuses on examining the dialogue between the affordances of Instagram and how influencers use these affordances when it comes to beautification. In short, this thesis aims to explore the contemporary field of Instagram with a focus on AR filters, and accordingly contributes to current discussions on this topic by providing a new perspective. The technicity of Instagram stories will be examined in order to understand narrations of beautification via this particular function on Instagram, and the types of looks that proliferate on the platform as a result of the AR filters. Or phrased differently, this thesis will give answer to the question of: how do influencers on Instagram narrate beautification through AR filters on Instagram stories?
1. Instagram Stories & Affordances for narrating beautification
1.1 Instagram as a Visual Communication Tool
In order to understand the ways in which AR filters play a role on Instagram regarding beautification, it becomes first and foremost of importance to understand Instagram as a platform for visual culture. Visual communication practices have become an increasingly important part of our daily lives (Schreiber). Even though Instagram started off as an app enabling mass popularization of mobile photography, its function has shifted increasingly towards a platform of communication (Hund). Nevertheless, the focus on Instagram has always remained on the visual - photography, video and combinations of these elements - and is what the success of the platform could be ascribed to (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). Lev Manovich, new media theorist, argues that visuality is one of the main attributes for
Instagram’s popularity. He describes it as: ‘if Google is an information retrieval service, Twitter is for news and links exchange, Facebook is for social communication, and Flickr is for image archiving, Instagram is for aesthetic visual communication’ (2016). Visual
elements in the form of photo and video content could be considered as the foundations of the platform. This becomes of relevance when considering notions of beautification on this visual communication platform, as images have a persuasive potential (Munoz and Towner). As illustrated by previous research, images may gain a higher amount of attention, are more memorable, and may provoke more affective responses than text (Bucher and Schumacher). Instagram provides several different tools affording such forms of visual communication. One of its latest tools for affording such visual communication practices, are the AR filters on Instagram stories. These filters support users in the narrations of their stories on the platform. It gives Instagram stories a certain look and aesthetic, imbuing it with a specific meaning (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin).
1.2 Instagram and Aesthetics
Through different visual elements, users are enabled to communicate with one another on Instagram. At the same time, these visual elements establish trends in what is to be considered successful in terms of aesthetics (Hund). Instagram can still be seen as
synonymous with app-based photography, but at the same time the app has reached beyond this in the current landscape of visual social media cultures. Besides this combination of the visual and communication, another aspect has been added to the mix in recent years.
Instagram has become an online space with a focus on the visual, and where communication and commerce overlap. It has become a platform that has seen the rise of influencers and content creators striving for authenticity in a space mainly used for representing the self and posting selfies (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). Even though there has always been a focus on aesthetics, as Instagram is a highly visual platform. These influencers are often the drivers of visual trends, as a result of creating certain aesthetics and looks with the aim of gaining attention. For example, beauty trends that have appeared on the platform in recent years, such as contouring the face or the ‘Instagram eyebrows’ (defined eyebrows that are significantly lighter of color in the front and increasingly gets a deeper color moving towards the end (Thomas)) all started with one influencer posting content and causing for a feedback loop. This way, trends in beauty and aesthetics are introduced by influencers after which they may be replicated by other users (Hund).
With over a billion users, Instagram has gone far beyond just being an app. It has become more than a platform, and more than another success within the Facebook tribe after they bought it in April 2012. This can be illustrated by the fact that preferable aesthetics on Instagram have extended to the material world. Cafes, products, drinks - or anything else that can be sold or promoted via Instagram - have been redesigned to make them look as
‘insta-worthy’ as possible. Furthermore, Instagram has provided its users with a variety of filters from day one. These filters have always played a role in beautifying visual content, for example by correcting poorly shot pictures (Poulsen). Moreover, filters provided by the app have led to the creation of norms considering what is the compatibility of visual social media on Instagram. The filters provided by Instagram have set the norms for what could be
considered as beautiful on the platform (Rajanala, Mayra, and Neelam). Instagram thus reaches beyond its function as an app and platform, and has become a symbol for comprehending and outlining this relatively new culture of visual social media (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). A culture wherein aesthetics have always played a relevant role and have adapted over time.
The relatively new AR filters on Instagram have provoked a new dimension to these aesthetics on Instagram. These AR filters allow users to give their Instagram stories a new
and different look. It could be said, that the AR filters have expanded the options for
narrating through aesthetics. It becomes of relevance to examine these rather new AR filters and how they may enhance and beautify content. According to Manovich, analysis of just content can be inaccurate when neglecting its aesthetics. He argues: ‘if we simply count categories of content in a sample of Instagram images (portraits, selfies, food, landscapes, cityscapes etc.) we will miss the differences between the home mode and other photo cultures’ (p. 39). Photography on Instagram does not solely communicate through content, but also through styles and visual choices. Aesthetics thus are an important aspects to consider when analyzing Instagram content, especially given the fact that they could be considered the end result of filters and beautification. Furthermore, Instagram’s affordance of using filters is the number one cause of the success of the platform (Manovich). This is an additional compelling reason why considering aesthetics is essential for comprehending beautification through AR filters on the platform.
1.3 The rise of Instagram stories
Filters and aesthetics have continuously been one of the most important affordances on Instagram (Poulsen). However, the platform itself and its functions have changed over the years, with expansions of newly added features. One of these features is Instagram stories - the feature that allows the use of AR filters. Understanding Instagram Stories as one of the current main features of the platform is relevant as it says something about the affordances it gives to its users, and accordingly the practices of beautification it has brought with it over time. Understanding Instagram stories as a feature will ultimately support the understanding of narrations of influencers made by the means of this feature.
At the beginning of 2016, Instagram was faced with a big visual social media competitor, namely Snapchat (Leaver, Highfield and Abidin). According to Vaterlaus et al. Snapchat could be described as a “social media platform that allows users to send images, videos and text with a specified amount of time for the receiver(s) to view the content before it becomes permanently inaccessible to the receiver” (p. 594). It was the first app on which content would disappear. Content posted on the platform was not permanent, in contrast to many other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The fact that content on Snapchat would disappear either after a few seconds or after 24 hours - when
posted in the ‘story’ - led to more conversation and attention on the platform. Snapchat could be described as having an ephemeral nature, referring to the notion that users of the platform are not able to return to content (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). This in turn has brought about more focused attention on the platform (Bayer et al.). In this sense, Snapchat is not a collection of photo and video content, it is rather a conversation (Rettberg). All these elements together created a highly successful formula that gave rise to the popularity of Snapchat, at the same time creating competition for Instagram. As a response, Instagram launched their own versions of a ‘stories’ format in August 2016 (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). The platform adapted the Snapchat format of ephemerality to their own app. The so-called Instagram stories gained a place at the top of the interface, completely changing the visuals of the app (Amancio). Even though the original purpose of the app has remained - sharing photos and videos on the timeline - the new stories feature ingrained quickly into the platform (Amancio). By 2017, Instagram Stories already had become an important aspect of the overall success of the platform. An increasing amount of Instagram users would check in several times a day to keep up to date on the Stories of the people they were following. The fact that stories disappear after 24 hours caused people so spend more time on the platform, and post content several times a day. The Stories established a place for people to share more about their day to day lives. Unlike posting content on the Instagram feed, posting content on
Instagram Stories seems to have less of a pressure to look polished. Whereas posts on the
main Instagram timeline are permanent and often curated, Instagram Stories are only available for 24 hours and focus on sharing little bits of our everyday lives (Constine). Yet, this ephemeral nature of Instagram Stories was slightly decreased after the app released the
Highlight feature with which users gained the ability to save their Stories on their account,
often categorized in themes. This is what caused the best of both worlds to come together, combining communication with an ephemeral nature and the profiles of the users (Leaver, Highfield and Abidin).
Over time the Instagram stories feature has gained an increasing number of options for telling your story (Murat and Ayda). It started off with the options to add text, time, emojis, location, temperature, filters and hashtags. It also enables users to tag other users in their stories, and by tapping the bar ‘send message’ users can directly comment on stories of others. Other, more recent, options include adding gifs, music (in collaboration with Spotify) and links to websites (only available for users with over ten thousand followers). Moreover, it
expanded with creative tools for engaging with the user’s audience in the form of ‘stickers’ that allow the creation of polls of asking followers questions. Not to mention about the latest feature - and the feature which forms the object of this study - the augmented reality and face filters, which will be further discussed in chapter 2.
1.4 Storytelling
The name Instagram stories already suggest what the feature is particularly aimed at, namely telling a story. As Instagram stories funcion as a tool for narrating beautification, it is of importance to explore the concept of storytelling and how it has become part of these new visual social media cultures on Instagram. As AR filters - the subject of study of this thesis - afford a new form of storytelling, it is of relevance to contextualize storytelling as a concept.
From a young age on, kids are being encouraged to listen to stories and tell their own (Amancio). Storytelling is and has always been part of human life (Dayter and Muhleisen). A
story can be defined as “a description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of
events” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020). With the rise of the internet and digital media a lot has changed when it comes to storytelling. Our linguistic practices are being changed by the internet (Dayter & Muhleisen), yet the importance of storytelling has remained the same (Amancio). According to media scholar Jenkins “storytelling practices persist because they are meaningful to those who produce and consume them” (p. 1062). The internet has enabled new ways for us to narrate our stories, for instance via online platforms. Different types of internet formats are increasingly being used by people to tell their stories online. This has also caused for some transformations in the ways in which we tell our stories. A shift away from text has become apparent, and visual elements such as photo and video have become more and more significant in the storytelling as we know it today. There is no reliance solely on verbal and linguistic narratives anymore. Rather, in the digital age we live in today a story may very well be told through visuals. Especially when it comes to aesthetics, there is an emphasis on telling stories visually. Visuals themselves have the ability to tell stories without words, a practice that is common to Instagram stories. This way, storytelling already has transformed as technologies have progressed and photography and videography have become more accessible by new and more advanced digital technologies. These transformations in storytelling will continue even further in the future, and will be enhanced by certain tools
such as the AR filters on Instagram. According to Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin, filters on Instagram imply “a way of manipulating and crafting a photograph to imbue it with a specific meaning” (p. 12). Therefore, the use of AR filters may shape the message of Instagram stories. They have expanded the options for narrating on the platform. Subsequently, the AR filters afford narrations of beautifications, as they enhance the looks and aesthetics of visuals. Since storytelling is - and has been - a very important aspect of human life, it will adapt to certain necessities and trends (Amancio). The launch of AR filters on Instagram stories may have caused a new trend in storytelling, by provoking a different dimension for narrating on the platforms through affording users with a variety of options to beautify content.
1.4.1 Digital storytelling
As illustrated in the previous paragraph, the concept storytelling has transformed throughout the years. An aspect that has played a big role in this transformation has been the increase in use of digital media to narrate stories. This has led to a new form of storytelling, which is called digital storytelling. With the rise of the internet, people have been enabled to tell their stories online, for instance through blogging or via social network sites. This way, the space of digital storytelling has been expanded (Lundby). The concept of digital storytelling has an interdisciplinary nature, and can be explained from different points of views depending on different fields of study (Amancio). For the purpose of this thesis, it is most relevant to
consider storytelling in digital media through a media studies lens. Hereby, there is a focus on understanding the different aspects that are part of telling stories in digital spaces, for
instance understanding the role of photography and video (Vivienne and Burgess).
Media scholar Jenkins argues that digital storytelling “could include stories generated via digital tools, stories that involve various forms of networked participation or interacticity, stories that are distributed via digital platforms, or stories that are consumed on digital
platforms” (p. 1061). Digital storytelling is a concept that can be applied to many online platforms that are used nowadays. These platforms have enabled users to share their stories online in an easy and accessible way (Dayter and Muhleisen). What is of importance here, is that different platforms offer different functionalities when it comes to storytelling. The ways in which users create their stories online is dependant on the ways in which they decide to use these functionalities (Amancio). Therefore, the production of a story online belongs to the user itself. The users thus have the freedom to create their own narratives as they would like,
however the platform decides what exactly they enable to users in order to create these stories.
The result of people telling their stories online could be named ‘mediatized stories’ (Lundby). This can be linked to the concept of mediatization, which denotes that “the processes through which core elements of a cultural or social activity assume media form” (Couldry). Or put in different words, this concept suggests that media shapes communication and the society in which it it takes place. According to Couldry, digital storytelling refers to the idea that “the whole range of personal stories is now being told in potentially public form using digital media resources” (p. 43). In this sense, digital storytelling is a combination of one of the oldest forms of communication with some of the newest and highly popular technologies. For the purpose of this thesis, digital stories refers to all narrative being told in the online space through different functionalities such as photos, videos, gifs, text music or any other form of online media.
1.4.2 Digital storytelling on Instagram
The feature Instagram Stories could not be a more suitable space for digital storytelling. It enables Instagram users to share their stories with their followers, and does so by providing them with different options such as text, gifs, music and emojis. Instagram Stories is not solely a photography product. Instagram has adapted it and made it their own. What
particularly stands out - and at the same time connects it to the concept of storytelling - is the fact that Instagram Stories has a focus on communication rather than photo-editing. The reason for making Instagram Stories not solely a photo-editing app lies in the fact that Instagram aimed at creating a less polished space (Constine). Unlike the Instagram feed where photos have a more polished look, Instagram Stories was aimed at making users feel comfortable posting anything they would like to in an informal way.If anything, the feature allows users to share their thoughts, daily life or even jokes. When it comes to the
communication aspect of the feature, it aims at a two-way connection between creators and fans, instead of a one to many. In short, is an accessible feature that is made for all users who want to express their feeling about the world around them (Constine).
With the launch of Instagram Stories, a lot of criticism was raised from people
thinking Instagram was ‘stealing’ Snapchat’s format. However, over the past years the feature has been completely incorporated into the platform. Moreover, the Instagram of today would
not be the same without the Stories. What made the feature such a huge success, is the fact that Instagram made it original. The platform made it their own by focussing on enabling users to express themselves, instead of focussing on photography. Or as phrased by the creator of the feature “it’s a canvas for you to express yourself” (Constine). One of the functionalities that supports users to express themselves and create a narrative on the platform are the augmented reality (AR) and face filters. These AR filters on Instagram stories allow users to imbue their content with a different meaning, through enhancing the aesthetics and looks of the content.
1.4.3 Affordances
Instagram thus presents its users with particular tools that afford narrations of stories. Users are given the freedom to use these tools in the ways they desire. However, these tools only affords a certain set amount of practices. One of these tools are the AR filters that are provided on Instagram stories. These AR filters are a relatively new affordance that Instagram has provided its users with. This concept of affordances however has been constituted years ago by Gibson, and was originally conceived in ecological psychology. Nevertheless, it is still a highly relevant concept for understanding user practices in online spaces such as Instagram. Gibson’s described affordances as the following: “I mean by it something that reflects the environment and the animal in a way that no existing term does. It implies the complementarity of the animal and the environment” (p. 119). Later, the concept was adopted in design studies. Accordingly, professor and author Norman described the concept of affordances as “the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could possibly be used”. (p. 9). Affordances thus seem a relevant concept to discover, as they are key for comprehending and analyzing the dialogue between technologies and its users (Bucher and Helmond).
Affordances are thus of importance when considering the manners in which individuals post on Instagram, as the type of content posted on the platform depends on the tools that platform affords to its users. When doing analysis of particular practices on social media,
contextualization regarding the ways in which these online spaces are constructed and how they afford certain practices, is necessary. Software plays an important part is how content is shared on particular platform, and affordances are related to how users utilize them.
with. What is important about the concept of affordances, is that they are not deterministic. Rather, affordances are relative indicating a mutual process between an online space and the practices of the users in that particular space (Schreiber). Affordances are the tools that are given to the users of a digital platform. These affordances enable certain practices, while constraining others. Everything in between this enabling and constraining is the freedom that is given to the users to do what they desire. Affordances thus do set limits to possibilities for practices on a platform, while at the same time giving a certain amount of freedom
(Hutchby). It provides a framework for users and their practices online. This mutual process can be seen as a dialogue between the affordances of a certain platform and the practices of its users. This thesis focuses on how Instagram affords the usage of AR filters by expanding the options for narrating stories through enhancing the appearance of content. In this case, affordances have to be taken into consideration in order to understand the dialogue between the technicity of Instagram and the practices of influencers on Instagram.
2. AR Filters and the Technicity of Beautification
2.1 Enhancing social media images
Living in an age of digital media, photo-editing software has become available for almost anyone. Digital altering of images however, is nothing new. Images in advertisements and photos of celebrities and models in magazines have nearly all been edited to some extent, revealing the beauty ideals a specific society holds. According to Guest (..) “the majority of images people are exposed to in the mass media have been digitally altered to reflect
enhanced Western beauty standards” (p. 444). Now that almost anyone has the availability to edit and enhance their photos via easy to use apps, it has become more and more apparent that social media users tend to edit their own images before uploading it on social media. The filters and enhancements enabled by these editing apps have created the new norm, changing people’s ideas about beauty standards worldwide (Rajanala, Mayra and Neelam). Moreover, the filters Instagram affords to its users encourages them to enhance and beautify content before posting it (Ferwerda, Schedl, and Tkalcic). We live in an age of edited selfies, wherein propagating beauty ideals is not solely reserved for celebrities anymore. The apps available provide us with such a level of enhancement, that creating perfection is now accessible to almost everyone. A shift has become apparent in the world of photo-editing. We are not left to idolize beauty standards represented by the media anymore. By using filters and editing apps almost anyone can reach a similar level of beauty. Even though most of us hold on to the idea that photography is in line - or even synonymous - with reality. The truth is, that once touched by any form of editing software, this reality is augmented, enhanced, altered or reduced to some extent (Jones). Above that, in recent years another layer has been added, by providing social media users with augmented reality (AR) filters. These filters have expanded the options for beautifying content even further, by allowing virtual elements to be placed on top of reality. There thus seems to be a correlation between the technicities of platforms such as Instagram, and practices of beautification.
2.2 A history of filters on Instagram
While the AR filters that have allowed for the simplification of beautification have only been launched in 2019, filters have continuously played an important role when it comes to the success of Instagram. They were part of the first affordances Instagram provided to its users, and till this day still have a prominent place in the app (Leaver, Highfield and Abidin). By providing users with the affordance of adding filters to visual content, Instagram encourages the modification of colors, appearance and overall aesthetics of images (Ferwerda, Schedl, and Tkalcic). The platform has normalized the use of filters and editing tools, before posting content on one’s Instagram feed. These filters serve as a way of correction; to adjust
mistakes, add a sense of creativity and enhance the total look of visual content (Munoz and Towner). The app has simplified the use of filters (Ferwerda, Schedl, and Tkalcic), as it provides its users with pre-fabricated filters that can be used to overlay any already taken pictures. By doing so, the platform institutionalized the process of editing and enhancing content before posting it (Tiidenberg). At the same time, it diminished the need to have technical and artistic skills in order to enhance images, as Instagram provides pre-made filters to choose from. At the time of writing, the app provides its users with 40 different
pre-fabricated filters to choose from.
In October 2010, Instagram was officially launched in Apple’s App Store. At the time, the app was solely available for the Iphone, and was mainly used as an instant
photography app. In its beginning years, the app was mainly known for its square frames and a series of filters that had the ability to give different aesthetics to images. However, these main aspects of the app, including filters, were not Instagram’s invention. Other apps had provided similar functionalities before. Nevertheless, Instagram became a success as a result of creating a balance between these functionalities. Regarding Instagram’s aesthetics, from its early days on, it has always maintained a retro feel and look. Instagram’s filters enabled the imitation of nostalgic polaroid photos, as also indicated by its icon. There was, and still is, a prevalence of a retro-aesthetic within the app and its affordances (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). According to MacDowell and DeSouza, Instagram has the ability to resemble ‘the washed-out, dreamy aesthetic and mood of analogue photography, as well as the
started expanding its options regarding photo editing. New filters were launched on the app, and in 2014 more advanced tools that enabled manual editing were introduced. These manual editing tools allowed for making adaptations to for instance the brightness and contrast of the image (Poulsen). This way, the app has afforded users with more options to create various different looks to their images,
With the launch of Instagram Stories in 2017, Instagram’s online environment was changed once again. This new feature on the platform accordingly brought a new dimension to the use of filters. The Instagram Stories filter quickly became one of the most important drivers of Instagram’s success, and functions for this feature expanded continuously over time (Leaver, Highfield, and Abidin). A range of filters was added to the feature, that could be used by capturing photo or video content and swiping left or right on the screen to choose between several filters. Above that, Instagram introduced its own face-filters that could be used by tapping the face, and choosing from an array of filters based on face recognition. Dog and cat ears, a rabbit's nose or sunglasses were just a few of the features that could be
overlayed on top of the individual seen through the camera. These filters based on augmented reality, were often compared to the face filters available on Snapchat - the app that gave rise to the popularity of AR face filters. However, Instagram’s version of these face filters soon took a prominent place on the platform (Leaver, Highfield and Abidin). As of 2019, a new functionality was yet again introduced. This time, it allowed for the creation of AR filters by users themselves. With the opening of the Spark AR Studio to the public, users were enabled to create their own AR filters and upload them on Instagram to be used by themselves and others on Instagram stories (Chacon). While before, the AR filters were pre-fabricated by the platform itself, this new update allowed for the freedom of users to create their own. The AR filters created by other users can be found in various different manners. When using one of the AR filters, the name of the filter appears at the top of the Instagram Story. Tapping the name of the filter allows any other user watching the Instagram story to try and save that particular filter to their account. Furthermore, a selection of AR filters can be found by opening the Instagram stories feature and selecting one of the filters that appear in the circles at the bottom of the screen. By scrolling all the way to the right and tapping the magnifier icon, the so-called ‘effect gallery’ will be opened which contains all AR face filters. The gallery contains several different categories of AR filters, such as ‘love’, ‘color and light’, ‘funny’, and ‘animals’. It also allows the option to search for filters based on the filter names.
2.3 AR filters on Instagram
Even though filters have always played an important role on Instagram, the AR filter have inaugurated a new chapter on the platform. Augmented reality in the broad sense could be defined as “augmenting natural feedback to the operator with simulated cues” (Milgram, et al. p. 283). More recently, AR has been defined as “a real-time direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment that has been enhanced/augmented by adding virtual computer-generated information to it” (Carmigniani, et al. p. 342). Augmented reality on mobile platforms can be considered as powerful user interfaces, wherein virtual information is merged with someone’s physical environment. This way, the user will perceive the virtual as being brought into their ‘real’ surroundings. AR aligns virtual with physical objects in an interactive way and in real time. It does so through combining a physical environment with information generated by computers. For the purpose of this thesis, mobile augmented reality systems (MARS) are of specific interest. These are services that are not linked to equipped areas, but can be used anywhere the user desires. They add another informational layer on top of any real world environment (Hollerer and Feiner). While the computer-presented material is merged with physical surroundings of the user, the user at the same time can interact with it. In this sense, the user becomes the interface.
Instagram added its own face filters in 2017 on their Instagram stories feature. At this time, Instagram was in full control of the AR face filters they enabled to their users. A lot has changed since then due to the launch of the Spark AR Studio. This tool was created in 2018, and was opened up for public use in August 2019. Ever since, anyone has been able to create their own AR filters and upload them on Instagram for others to use. The Spark AR Studio provides easy to use templates and creation tools in order to build new AR experiences for Instagram. The fact that technical experience is not needed, makes the platform highly accessible for any Instagram user. When creating a new AR experience on Spark Studio, the users are provided with a two-dimensional workspace in which they can situate virtual blocks according to what they want the filter to do. An important aspect of creating the filters, is the face detector which can easily be dragged and dropped into the filter. The face detector is necessary in order to separate an object from the rest of the image. This makes sure that once the filter is uploaded, Instagram knows where exactly your face is, and thus where to add the
virtual elements on top of the physical world. These AR filters on Instagram stories allow for retouching and enhancing both photo and video content with one tap on the screen. It affords users with an accessible and easy to use tool to beautify both the aesthetics of their content, as well as beautifying facial characteristics (Gershgorn).
2.3.1 AR Filters and Beautification
AR filters have provided Instagram users with new forms of beautification. Nevertheless, beautification is not a new concept, rather it has been done since the invention of
photography. Processes of beautification have been adopted for years by professional photographers (Leyvand et al.). However, the digital media of today have made it
increasingly effortless to ‘beautify’ one’s own images. The variety of tools that allow for enhancements and retouching in today’s digital cultures is ever-growing. AR filters are one of the tools that have simplified beautification, by affording enhancements of appearance via a tap on the screen. Accordingly, for the purpose of this thesis, beautification refers to facial retouching in the digital domain through AR filters. The process of beautification could be described as “increasing predicted attractiveness by retouching and deblemishing subjects of photography” (Leyvand et al. p. 1). The main goal of beautification is to enhance facial attractiveness through subtle modifications, in order create a result that seems rather similar to the original. Often, these modifications are aimed at acquiring identical results to those acquired via plastic surgery procedures. Above that, modifications may also include particular characteristics of the face to be reshaped and resized. Additionally, relocation of the eyes and hair, and enlarging of the mouth and eyes may be part of the beautification process (Rathgeb, Dantcheva, and Busch). Through allowing the use of AR filters, Instagram provides its users with such forms of beautification.
3. Instagram Influencers and an Economy of Beautification
3.1 The ‘desire for more’
Living in an attention economy wherein there is an enormous amount of content to be found online while there is scarcity of attention, we can find ourselves feeling a constant desire for more. Especially in new online media environments, attention has become an increasingly valuable form of resources in today’s modern capitalism. The starting point of the attention economy we are currently living in could be described by the fact that being watched has become just as valuable as watching (Zulli). It is a marketing perspective that gives value to anything that is able to draw eyeballs in a world that is saturated with media and information. Attention has become a currency, and people online are contending for gaining the most attention (Marwick). Living in an era wherein social media has gained an increasing important role in our daily lives, it has encouraged the presentation of the self and
surveillance over others. In this sense, social media have contributed to rationalizing the idea of ‘being watched’. At the same time, attention is a concrete and limited commodity, making ‘those who don’t have it, want it’ and ‘even those who have it, want more’ (Zulli, p. 140). As a result, behavior of social media users is shaped with the aim of gaining more and more attention in information and content-saturated online spaces. Instagram is one of the online spaces wherein users compete for attention in order to improve their online status (Marwick). 3.2 Instagram Influencers
As a result of users aiming for attention on Instagram, the idea of microcelebrity was created. This is a concept that refers to users on the platform conducting practices of presentation of the self through using strategic tools to develop their own profile, connect with followers and share their personal lives online - all in order to increase attention, and accordingly enhance their status online (Senft). This way, techniques for seeking attention have moved from regular consumer brands to individuals who desire to gain popularity online (Marwick). Instagram makes a very suitable platform to do so, due to its open-endedness and giving users the ability to choose various ways in which to represent themselves. It affords different tool for self-presentation, such as (AR) filters. All the different tools and affordances that
Instagram provides them with, can be used in order to create their brand online. Self-branding seems to be an important aspect of these users aiming for attention online. Through
distinguishing themselves from the many others in the online space, they aim for as many glances on their page. Digital technologies and social media have enabled self-branding to anyone seeking attention online. This however has not always been the case, as before the rise of social media, solely celebrities got the opportunities to brand themselves.
Self-branding refers to the idea that any user can formulate a recognizable public image for gaining cultural capital. Just like commercial good, individuals online may benefit from having a unique selling point that makes them stand out from the rest. The ultimate aim of becoming a so-called ‘influencer’ on Instagram can then be described as finding a following via presenting the self on social media and standing out from others in the attention economy. Social media influencers’ success is dependant on practices of self-branding and
micro-celebrity. They seem to give the impression to social media users that anyone can achieve ‘fame’ online. It is an inspiring and replicable phenomenon that accordingly boosts practices of micro-celebrity, and the belief of subsequent wealth that often comes with it (Khamis). Instagram influencers have mastered the ability to portray an interesting and inspiring picture of themselves and their lives, therefore attracting an audience (Marwick). An audience which equals attention, and attention which equals value in today’s economy. However by doing so, lines between reality and representations on Instagram often seem to be blurred.
3.2.1 Attention on Instagram and the ‘Proliferation of Sameness’
Thousands of numbers of photo and video content in various contexts are shared across different apps and platforms every day. When it comes to Instagram, the platform encourages certain types of visuality over others. Visual content containing a particular aesthetic may succeed in gaining attention, while other forms of content fail to do so. In an online
environment such as Instagram, where commercialization and metrics play an increasing role, it becomes of relevance to create visual content that will succeed in gaining attention (Hund). A critique that has been given to Instagram as a result of this desire to create a certain ‘look’ for the purpose of attention, is the idea of Instagram promoting a ‘proliferation of sameness’ (Hubbard). Once it becomes recognized that content with a particular visual look succeeds in gaining attention, other users pick up on this trend and imitate the content with the aim of
gaining the same attention. This way a feedback loop of ‘looks’ and ‘aesthetics’ is created, wherein standards of beauty are naturally reinforced. Simultaneously, this illustrates a link between the beautification of content and the attention economy. As there is an overload of content - but a scarcity of attention (Senft) - forms of enhancements such as photo-editing or filters become tools that afford techniques for creating content that has a higher chance in succeeding in oversaturated online spaces. Trends in what is considered as visually pleasing or ‘beautiful’ are often stimulated by influencers on the platform (Hund).
However, trends emerge, disappear or adapt over time. Especially given the fact that new tools for creating or enhancing visual content arise. Instagram has provided its users with tools to enhance the visuality ever since they launched. Filters have continuously had an important position on the platform, and are considered one of the main aspects leading to the high success of Instagram (Manovich). One of the latest tools Instagram affords to its users are the AR filters on Instagram stories. The AR filters that can be used by influencers on Instagram stories may function as a way of gaining attention in a content saturated space. As an influencers job relies on practices of self-presentation, it becomes their job to grab the attention of the audience (Marwick). AR filters and practices of beautification that they afford, may serve as a way for influencers to gain more attention on the platform, and thus increasingly proliferate in their job. This thesis argues, that the correlations between influencers, the use of AR filters on Instagram stories and the according practices of
enhancing content, can be described as an economy of beautification. An economy, in which influencers benefit from using forms of beautification afforded by the AR filters, as they have the ability to make their content stand out. Influencers thus may profit of AR filters and the enhancements these filters allow them to make to their content in an easy and fast way. 3.3 Instagram as a highlight reel
The idea that influencers may profit of AR filters and aesthetic enhancements of their contents can be further illustrated by the fact that they often solely portray the highlights of their lives. Even though Instagram started off as a platform to share quick snapshots of users’ everyday lives, much has changed on the platforms and the ways in which it is used. As discussed above, influencers use different strategies with the aim of gaining as much attention as possible. This often includes the creation of a beautiful looking representation of oneself
and their lives. Moreover, the instafamous often portray a certain look and lifestyle. This lifestyle is often a glamorous one, that can be resembled by the lifestyle of ‘the rich and famous’ (Marwick). As a result, there is a reinforcement of the existing stardom hierarchy, wherein glamour, wealth, luxury and good looks seem to be of importance. This while the audience of the influencer often have an interest in them with the reason of following someone that seems more relatable and find is aspirational. The fact that an influencer’s life only portrays a small part of their real lives, is often neglected. Along with the fact that strategies such as photo-editing, filters and framing play a role when influencers post on their account. It could be said that photography on Instagram is not always synonymous with the real world.
Moreover, it is not necessarily an accurate representation of one’s life offline. In this sense, social media platforms such as Instagram in reality may function as a so-called
highlight reel, instead of being a symbol for users’ day to day lives (Wiederhold). This could
be ascribed to the fact that attention as value - as described in the previous paragraph - plays an important role. Above that, Instagram as a platform makes it significantly effortless to edit photos and use filters, enhancing one’s representation of their lives. Solely sharing one’s highlights and most beautiful parts of one’s life, may lead to more attention. However, it at the same time results in an accumulation of visual content that could cause feelings of inadequacy and anxiety for those viewing the content.
Compared to other social media platforms, Instagram in specific is prone to set unrealistic expectations, cause feelings of imperfection and incapacity, and decreases in self-esteem among users (Wiederhold). These types of effects are no wonder when taking into consideration that individuals on Instagram with large audiences often just present themselves as living their best lives - making their audience question the lives of their own. Regarding influencers in specific, they ‘frequently share glamorous photos of themselves in far-off locations, lounging in carefully staged shots, or showing off chiseled, professionally retouched bodies’ (Wiederhold, p. 215). Again, this could be related to the influencers’ job - being gaining attention from audiences through self-presentation in a content saturated online space. By presenting only their most beautiful experiences and moments of their lives and versions of themselves, they may have a higher chance at gaining the attention they are seeking for. Often, this also involves the retouching and editing of images, to enhance the representations of their lives even further. This idea of influencers on Instagram profiting
from enhancing their content and making their lives look as beautiful and aesthetically pleasing as possible, is something that this thesis refers to as the economy of beautification.
4. Methodology
In order to find out how influencers on Instagram narrate beautification through Instagram stories, this thesis will draw on a content analysis. A case study of 15 influencers’ Instagram stories was done, with the ultimate aim of gaining a better understanding of narrations of beautifications through AR filters on Instagram stories. All names and number of followers of the influencers were recorded. A sample of 15 influencer was constructed, based on several different aspects. First of all, the sample of influencers has a specific focus on the categories of beauty, fashion and lifestyle influencers. The reason for this being, that this is a group of influencers that tend to make regular use of the AR filters, and at the same time have a main audience of young women and girls. They serve as role models for many in this specifically vulnerable group, especially when it comes to the setting of beauty and lifestyle standards (Borzekowski, Robinsen, and Killen). All influencers that are part of the sample have a significantly large audience ranging from 83.000 to 1,4 million followers. In order to gain a broad understanding, influencers with different amounts of followers were covered. Even though there is a big difference between the reach of an influencer with 83.000 followers and 1.4 million followers, both may deliver interesting insights in different ways. While smaller influencers may have a stronger and more personal connection with their audience, larger influencer may have a bigger reach and thus bigger impact. By searching for popular accounts with a high following, the aim thus was not to create a representative sample of Instagram users, but to examine a varied collection of popular users with a high following who seem relevant to the object of study. In addition, the sample was picked with the help of secondary websites and blogs that are devoted to Instagram and influencers such as, Hubspot,
Influencerdb and SocialBuddy. Furthemore, the explore page on Instagram was used to find
relevant influencers, as it provides a selection of interesting posts. Lastly, my own expertise in the field of Instagram influencers was used, as I have been part of this specific community for almost three years. This supported contextualizing the highly followed Instagram
accounts within the categories of beauty, fashion and lifestyle.
With the growing use of social media, and accordingly an increase in visual content online, it has become of more and more interest to find ways to research such visual content. This is not always a straightforward process, since there are no tools specifically made to
retrieve and analyze visual data from Instagram. However, the method of content analysis can be applied to visual materials of various kinds (Bryman). In the case of Instagram stories, this visual material concerns both photo and video. Within content analysis, two aspects are of importance; objectivity and being systematic (Bryman). In order to collect data for the purpose of this thesis, the Instagram stories of the sample of influencers were followed and tracked for one full week. Every single evening at 8 p.m. all Instagram stories of the influencers were screencaptured, making sure to not miss any posted Story from that particular day. Even though all Instagram stories have been screencaptured, specific interesting cases have been screenshotted to serve as examples. After the process of collecting the data by screen recording the Instagram Stories, the data was analyzed. A list has been created with all of the AR filters that were used by the influencers, and the number of times they had been adopted. This data was then added to an Excel spreadsheet, in order to make different graphs demonstrating all the different (types of) AR filters and how frequently they were applied to the influencers’ Instagram stories. Names from the creators of the filters were also added to these graphs, as some AR filters tend to have similar names.
It is of relevance to note that the object of study - AR filters - involves methodological challenges. Since the user-generated AR filters on Instagram are a relatively new feature, there are no digital tools available for retrieving data from these filters. Therefore, a method had to be developed to study these user-generated AR filters on Instagram stories. At the same time, the filters are not connected to any form of hashtags and are rather difficult to search for on the platform. Even though there is an ‘effect gallery’ available for exploring the different AR filters on the app, retrieving the most used AR filters or identifying filters based on what exactly they enhance or beautify is not possible. A solution to these issues was found by examining AR filters by looking at practices of influencers. As they can be seen as
‘opinion leaders’ online, their practices are relevant in regards to current trends on Instagram. Analyzing the practices of a small sample of influencers, which AR filters they use, and what these AR filters beautify allows for an uncovering of the types of looks that proliferate on Instagram. Ultimately, the results from this content analysis can be used to create a typology of beautification. Even though a rather small sample of influencers was chosen for this thesis, the methodology this thesis proposes as a result of a methodological challenge, can be used in the future for bigger samples.
The aim with the methodology of this thesis is to provide a contribution to the field of visual methodology. As this is still an emerging field, it is of relevance to discover new approaches for researching different types of visual materials that have become increasingly prominent in today’s digital cultures. Social media platforms - especially Instagram - often consist of a relatively large amount of visual content. Since there are no such digital tools created in order to research all types of visual content on social media, it becomes of
importance to find new methodological approaches. The field of visual methodology aims to do so by stimulating the understanding of interpretations and meanings of different visual materials. It has a focus on discovering signification and affect of visual images. It does so by the means of empirical research with an emphasis on comprehending the contexts and social circumstances in which these visual materials are ingrained. This does not mean that there is solely one truth of a visual. Rather, different meanings and interpretations can be found. Nevertheless, the aim relies on the emphasis of justifying one’s understanding of visual content in detail. The ways in which meanings are signified and the actual practices within the visuals here play a critical role in the meanings these visuals produce (Rose).
One last point to make considering the methodology regards ethical issues. As this thesis deals with screenshots and images that have been found in the online space, ethical issues need to be taken into consideration. For the purpose of this thesis, it has been decided to use screenshots of the screen recordings of the sample of influencers, since it is of
relevance for gaining a deeper understanding of what the AR filters actually look like, and which parts of the visuals they enhance or beautify. As influencers have a high amount of followers, this comes with a status as a public figure. Since it is an influencer’s job to share their life with the outside world and have their names be known in the public, it can be considered an ethical decision to showcase the ways in which they have used the AR filters.
5. Typology of Beautification
As a result of screen recording and analyzing the Instagram posts of the sample of 15 influencers within the fashion, beauty and lifestyle category for one week, a total of 1935 stories were retrieved. Out of these 1935 stories, a total of 728 stories conducted the AR filters on Instagram. This means, that around 40% of the stories posted by these influencers made use of the AR filters, and had thus undergone some form of beautification or adaptation of reality. What is important to bear in mind here, is the fact that not all stories are suitable for using AR filters. Examples of these stories where AR filters can not be applied, are screenshots, texts, non-original content, or the sharing of others Instagram content. These examples of stories appeared to be posted quite frequently. For instance, when the influencer in question wanted to promote a certain video on their YouTube channel, they would post a screenshot of that video to point it out to their audience. Furthermore, influencers often share Instagram stories in which they are tagged by their followers. Above that, they sometimes choose to narrate their stories solely by adding texts to the stories, or by sharing posts that are created by others on the platform. Yet, besides the fact that some of the stories were not suitable for using the AR filters, still a large amount of data was retrieved, consisting of interesting ways different AR filters were used by these influencers. This total compilation of 728 stories that conducted AR filter on Instagram, will now be further explored.
Throughout the process of screen capturing and analyzing the influencer’s Instagram stories, several different patterns became apparent. This has led to the creation of three different categories of AR filters that were used by the influencers. First of all, there is the category of AR filters that has a focus on filters that apply all over the screen. These types of filters usually change different tones of colors, making the overall picture or video look more ‘aesthetically pleasing’. It creates a layer on top of reality that makes it more pleasant to the eye. It generally enhances the aesthetic of visual content on Instagram stories as a whole. The second category of AR filters that were used by the sample of influencers could be described as filters with a particular focus on the face. These types of filters can be defined as filters that enhance facial attractiveness by the retouching of different facial characteristics. Consequently, using these AR filters leads to an outcome with similar results to those obtained by facial cosmetics or plastic surgery procedures. They shape or adapt different
parts of the face, depending on the filter. Furthermore, they may change the colors in the photo or video content as well. In addition, some AR filters within this category add symbols on the face, such as flowers, butterflies, stars, or angels. And lastly, some of them add
features that give the look of makeup, such as rosy cheeks or a contoured and bronzed appearance. The third category of AR filters used by the sample of influencers could be described as filters depicting fun, entertainment and interactivity. These types of filters are not used for the purpose of beautification or making content look more pleasing to the eye. Rather, content with this type of filter is used by the influencers to entertain their audience, make them laugh, or connect to their followers on a different level by interacting with the filter. Unlike the first two categories, the last category seems to have a focus on
entertainment. When it comes to the popularity of these three categories of AR filters under the sample of influencers, there was a large preference of the first category - the all-over screen AR filters. This category of filters was by far used the most by the sample of influencers, according to the retrieved data. In total, 75% of all used AR filters by the influencers falls under this first category of all over screen filters, as demonstrated by figure
1. The face AR filters can be considered as the second most used AR filters by the sample of
influencers, as this category accounted for 23% of the total number of AR filters used. The third category of entertaining and interacting AR filters were outstandingly used the least amount of times. The sample of influencers used these types of filters rather sparingly, resulting in it to account for just 2% of the total amount of AR filters recorded. Since this last category of filters solely accounts for 2% of the total number of AR filters found, this
category will not be further discussed. Moreover, the third category has the least focus on beautification and therefore does not seem relevant enough for it to be discussed further. However, the remaining two categories have been highly used and are relevant for understanding beautification as narrated by the sample of influencers, and will be furter examined.
Figure 1. Pie Chart demonstrating three categories of AR filters classified according to amount of usage
In order to gain a broad and deep understanding of a variety of different AR filters used by the influencers on Instagram stories, these main categories have been split into subcategories. This way, it becomes clear which different types of filters within the categories are being used, and which ones of these are the most prominent. Since the third category - filters with a focus on interaction/entertainment - is relatively minor and irrelevant for examining
beautification, it will not be further explored. Rather, the all-over screen filters and the face filters will be further discussed in detail, by means of the subcategories they have been divided in. These subcategories have been based on the types of enhancements they make once applied to visuals. By analyzing the filters and trying them in real life, patterns became apparent in the adaptations made by the filters. These patterns laid the foundations for the creation of the subcategories. The different subcategories of these two main categories have been demonstrated by figure 2. This image represents a treemap, illustrating the different subcategories according to the number of times they have been used by the influencers. Thus, the bigger the block, the higher the number of usage according to the data retrieved by the sample of influencers. The red blocks represent the subcategories of the all-over screen
filters, while the blue blocks represent the subcategories of the face filters. At a first glance, it
